Damsels
by Twinkie216
Summary: Hiro has a thing for damsels. Sure while he like strong women to fight with, women who ultimately need him to protect them always seem to wrap him around their finger. Here enters Bethany Smart. She is a mess and Hiro wants nothing more than to be the one to clean her up. Romance. HiroxOC
1. Debt

**A/N: So, I'm a big fan of BH6, right? And I had a bunch of story ideas. This one is the strongest, so voila! **

"Ms. Smart, is it?" a man asked. I looked over at him, my heart dropping. He was the kinda of guy you'd expect to be sitting behind a desk. He was about forty years old, his hair peppered with gray hairs, and big glasses that clung to his face, shielding his eyes. He wore a cheap brown suit, making him look more like an accountant than someone who worked at a hospital. I stood up, and tripped over myself as I made my way to the man behind the desk.

"Y-yes?" I breathed. My voice was soft with fear, fear that she was gone. "Did it...is she...?"

He stared at me for a moment, taking in my appearance. "She's doing fine, ma'am-" I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and choked. "Oh, thank God," I whispered. I licked my lips and put my hand on the desk. "Thank God."

"Ma'am?" he inturupted. I looked at him expectantly. There was now a smile on my face. I could have laughed, but it was a good thing I didn't. "She may be doing fine, but we've recieved a notice that she doesn't have the money to pay for her treatment. The hospital has also found that she has never fully paid off any bill that she's-"

"No," I cried. This was just my luck! Never any good news without bad. Tears gathered in my eyes, and I wiped them away viciously. I took a deep breath to calm myself. This was no big deal. It was going to be okay. How much could it be? "No," I said, "It's fine. I can pay it...just how much are we talking about?"

The man licked his lips this time and cocked his head. "Well, I see about..." He clicked around on his computer and then glanced up at me, taking in my appearace again "...about thirty thousand dollars in expenses with interest and taxes."

"Thirty thousand?!" I yelled. "Fuck!" I slapped my hands to my mouth, ashamed to have cursed so loudly. I looked at him, at how his eyes widened, the way his hands tensed. I shook my head. "I'm so sorry, that was..."

He smiled wrily. "It's okay, ma'am." He clicked another button, and the printer whirled to life.

"No, it's not," I said. I ran a hand through my hair and laughed. "I'm such a mess. I don't know how I'm going to pay all of that. I'm sorry."

The man looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but if you can't pay, we can't help you."

"Can't help me?" I repeated. "What? What does that even mean?"

"It means that we'll have to stop treating your mother."

"But she just had a heart attack for God's sake, you can't cut her a break?!"

He licked his lips. "I'm sorry I have to be the deliver of bad news, but I can't help you. She has too many unpaid bills for the hospital."

My head fell into my hands and I sobbed. I sucked in a large breath, and then released it, pulling myself together for a moment. It was silent for a moment and I could hear the news on the TV behind me. "How much?" My voice was broken.

"Thirty thousand dollars," he said. He turned and pulled a paper off of the printer.

"No," I said. He turned back to face me and handed me the paper with all of the expenses on it. "How much time do I have to pay all of this?" I looked over it, and sighed. She was in some deep shit.

"Uhm," the man adjusted his glasses, "you have a month, I'm afriad."

"What?" I hissed. My head snapped back up to him.

He licked his lips and lifted his hands to show me his palms. "I'm sorry, but she was informed of all of this eleven months ago. She was told she had a year to pay it all off, and we've gotten no payments since." His eyes were sulken, like it broken him to tell me this. Like he was the one suffering. "I'm sorry ma'am."

I shook my head. "Don't be..." I glanced at his nametag. "Jim. Don't worry about me, I'll figure it out." I turned around, and stomped off to the door.

"Ma'am?!" he called after me. I heard his chair scrap on the floor as he stood up. "You can't see your mother yet!"

"I'm not," I said. "I'm leaving." And with that, I stormed out of the hospital into the cold winter day to try and get a clue as to how I was going to pay off my mother's debts.


	2. Worst Day Ever

**A/N: So this is the second chapter. :) I plan on this being like a short little story. Nothing really long, but not a one or two shot either.**

"Yes, that's right," I said into the phone.

"Thiry thousand by the end of the month," the other person laughed. His deep voice was husky, like it had always been. His laugh was still as charming and perfect as ever, making me smile a little bit.

I shrugged even though he couldn't see me. "That's what I said."

"Beth, you're crazy."

"And you're rich." I sighed and adjusted the phone. "Help me, please, Kurt. I can pay you back, I just need more time."

Kurt Focus, a scientist. He was famous for inventing something scientific that I couldn't pronounce or even begin to explain. We grew up together. In middle school and high school we were pretty close friends. There was even a point in time where we dated. After high school, though, we went our seperate ways for college, but never kept out of touch with each other. He ended up marrying his college sweetheart, Cari, and I had been one of the bridesmaids are their wedding. He was a good friend, and the only friend I felt comfortable asking money from, because I knew he had enough of it. He was lucky to become so sucuessful, while I on the other hand got the short end of the stick. That was a natural occuring theme in my life, it seemed.

"Beth, I've got other stuff that money could go towards," he replied.

"I know, I know, your wife, your kids, but..." I lowered my voice. "...I wouldn't call if I didn't need the money."

"I know. I'm sorry, Beth." His voice got soft. "But I can't." Then the line went dead.

"Kurt?" No repsonse. "Kurt!" I let out a groan and shut my phone. "It's not his fault," I mumbled."It's hers," I let out a long sigh, "and now it's mine." I looked at my phone. "I'm sorry I tried to drag you into this..."

I sighed and threw my phone down on to the bed next to me and looked around my apartment. "I could sell something... I could sell that TV... Do I really need two couches?" I looked at my computer and the devices around it. "Do I-" my heart clenched, "-never mind."

I looked around my small apartment. Everything was right here. The small "kitchen" in the cornor, cut off by the arch in the wall which lead to the bathroom, a bed pushed against the wall closer to the front door. A TV was mounted in the wall across from the bed. The walls were a bright yellow, and the floors were a simple dark wood. I had two large windows with white, flowing curtains on each side of the door. I loved where I lived. It was cheap, and it was everything I needed at once.

A chilly breeze filtered through the window soaking my apartmant in the cold, reminding me that I had a burden a lot heavier than normal on my shoulders. I closed me eyes, and fell back on my bed, exhuasted.

I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep until my phone rang out loudly. I woke with a sniff, and slapped my phone, grumbling as I opened it. "Hello?" My voice was thick with sleep.

"Uh, hi, Bethany?"

"Yes?" I asked. "What do you want?"

"Well, uh, you didn't come into, um, work today-"

"Work?" I looked around, and noticed that the sun had gone down a bit, and that it was unnaturally cold in my room. Then it hit me. "Work! Oh my God! I'm so sorry."

The girl on the other end laughed. It was an awkward sound. "Yes, well, we're afraid this is your sixth time of missing work. I'm sorry to tell you this, but the boss says that if you don't come in by nine you don't have to bother coming at all tomorrow."

"Nine?" I pulled the phone away from my face to check the time. 8:34. "Nine?!"

The phone on the other side of the line shifted, and someone else spoke. "Yeah, nine, and it's pretty generous considering he should have fired you a long time ago, honey."

"Abby?" I took my ear away from the phone and glared at it. I didn't want to wake up to this crabby kiss-ass. I felt irritated just hearing her voice.

"Yeah, and if you're late this time I'll make sure you can't come to work, got it?"

Don't talk to me that way, I though. Anger steamed in my gut. I was in no mood for Abby right now. I'd gone through a lot today, and I wasn't ready to deal with her, or anything. I thought of a lot of mean things to say, but I didn't say any of it. I bit my tongue, and decided to think, to calm down.

I took a deep breath. "I don't think I can make it. I need this job, but it's thirty minutes away-"

"Better hurry, bitch."

Then the line went dead.

I was cold, and it wasn't just because of the open windows. Today could possibly one of the worst days of my life, I thought, and I nodded, agreeing with myself on that. Without another thought, I made sure I was dressed and then ran to my door, but not before turning around and stuffing everything I thought I'd need in my purse.

I stumbled out the door, and my foot then caught on the stone and with a loud cry I fell down the stairs that lead to the parking lot. It was only like four stairs, but I ached all over. The foot of the stiars was bathed in a yellow street light, and it was battling the sun to help me see. I looked around, momentarily confused, but I was only dazed for a moment before I struggled to my feet, and ran to my neighbor's bike. I really hoped she wouldn't mind me taking it without asking. I put my purse in the basket, and then glanced back at the stairs I'd just fell down to make sure that I didn't drop anything. When I was satisfied I climbed on the bike and road off.

I was halfway to work when my phone rang. I ignored it, and only peddled faster. I didn't know the time, but I assumed it was because I was late. I really hoped I wasn't late.

A little time later I arrived at work. I hopped off of the bike and ran into building. My boss greeted me. His meaty arms were crossed. I winced, fearing the worst. "You're late," he said. I nodded, and sighed. My chest heaved trying to claim all of the oxygen I could. I knew from the way his eyes looked over me that I looked like a mess. "You look awful," he added.

"You're really observant today," I hissed. He shrugged.

"I notice notiacble things," he said. "This is your sixth time, Smart." He glanced around. "How do you think everyone else feels when I give you so many breaks, and them none?"

"Jealous?"

"Jealous." He nodded. He looked over me. "You're a smart woman, and you work hard, but you just can't seem to be on time, ever." He looked sad. I'd seen that look too many times today.

"Am I fired?" I asked. I couldn't help the tears that gathered in my eyes. I already knew the answer.

He nodded, and didn't say anything. I didn't say anything either. I just turned around and walked out of the building. This had to officially be the worst day of my life.

I walked back home in a depressed daze. It hurt to move. It was cold, and I wasn't wearing a coat, just a thin jacket that did nothing for me. I felt empty. It wasn't until I heard the click of my door shutting that I felt something more. There was a thick feeling of shame weighing on me, so heavy that I all but fell onto my bed. I was about to start crying freely when my phone rang again. I didn't want to answer it, but then I remembered that it could be the hospital and I ripped my phone out.

It was one its forth ring by the time I got to it. "Yes...?" I said. I couldn't bring myself to speak fully.

"Uhm, Beth?" was the awkward reply.

"Cari?" I took the phone away from my ear to stare at the caller id: Kurt. "This is Kurt's phone." I felt a little better hearing her voice.

"I know, I can't find mine." I imagined her smiling and I smiled too, despite feeling crappy. Cari had always ben type of person. "Anyway, I called you because Kurt's an idiot."

"Oh, he is now is he?" I chuckled and whipped a couple tears away, trying to ignore the pause in her voice. She knew I was crying.

"Yes, he is," she sounded irritated. "Now, We can't give you all of the money," I heard her slap something and the phone rustled, "but we've got enough to get you about ten thousand by next week. is that okay?" I could tell Kurt was next to her.

I let out a laugh as my heart rose more in my chest. I couldn't help more tears falling down my cheeks. "Yes, it's fine," my voice broke. I was so happy. "I don't want to use up all your money. I'll pay you back, I promise."

"No," she paused and hissed something to Kurt on the other side, "you don't need to pay us back." She was speaking louder than nessisary. "You're family, and this is nothing-I swear to God Kurt if you roll your eyes one more time you're sleeping on the couch!"

"Ouch. The couch?" I smiled. There was comfort in the fact that Cari was siding with me.

"Yeah," Cari hissed. I could tell she was glaring at him. "He wants to save the money to take a trip to Europe or something stupid. He thinks we can't spare ten thousand dollars. To be honest, we could live fine off the money we have now but we both like working too much."

"Tell me about it," I scoffed, "you both work and are raising two kids. Speaking of kids, how are they?"

"They're doing great. They're both at their friend's house tonight, though."

"Shame, I wanted to speak with them."

"Well you can't," Kurt suddenly interrupted. I heard Cari huff on the other side of the line, and then there was a scuffle. "Now, before we forget what we called you for, I need to know exactly where my money is going."

"Well, since you asked," I said, "it's going straight to my drug dealer so I can get high on ten grand's worth of coke."

"Oh har har."

"Really, I'll be living on cloud nine for a long time, thanks."

"Seriously, though."

"My mom..." my voice got quiet. More tears spilled from me eyes. I sniffed. "She had a heart attack this morning. I thought she died."

"Oh..." was his dumb response. I'd known him long enough to know that he was uncomfortable. "I'm so sorry Beth. Why didn't you tell me when we were on the phone earlier? I would have thought of something."

"Becuase, I don't want your pity, Kurt."

"So you leave out the most important detail? What's the matter with you-when are you so prideful?"

"What did you think I was going to do with the money?"

There was a pause where he shrugged, then remembered we were on the phone. "I don't know. You just randomly asked for money. I thought you were joking."

"Oh yeah, really funny."

He sighed, and said, "We're getting sidetracked. I'll give you the money, alright? I trust you with it." He paused and I heard him and Cari share a few thoughts, but they weren't loud enoguh for me to hear. "And if you need anything else, and we mean anything, give us a call, alright? We're here for you."

I smiled. "I know," I said. "Thank you guys, this really means a lot to me."

"We love you, Beth," said Cari. "We want to help you."

"I love you guys too. Good night."

"Night," they chimed, and then the line went dead.


	3. Cafe

**A/N: Badah bing, badah boom. You're now at the third chapter. :) So what do you think? Like it so far? Wondering where Hiro is? Well, he's very close. I just have to set up some background first, but of course you already knew that, you smart cookie you.**

"So..." Cari drew out. I looked up from my cell phone in the middle of a text, and gave her a questioning look.

We had just arrived at the cafe. It was a Saturday tradition that we both met around noon to do a little chatting, a little catching up, and just have a little girl time. She had ordered a banana shake, while I had ordered a classic stawberry. We always ordered milkshakes, and stayed outside. It was cold outside, colder than usual, but that didn't stop us. The sky was a bright gray, but despite the lack of blue skies people still seemed to be happy. Cari seemed happy, but there was something off about her that I couldn't place. She seemed a little rougher than usual, a little angry. I decided that it was a good thing she wasn't mad at me, and that I wanted to keep it that way.

I smiled at her. "So?" I mocked.

Cari's head tipped to the side. My toes tingled at the look in her eyes. "What are you going to do about the rest of the money owed?" She took an intimidating sip of her shake, her eyes on me.

I drew in a sharp breath at the question. I really didn't want to talk about it. "I don't know, stuff. I can make up to rest of the money." I waved off the look that she was giving me. "I'm a very resourseful person."

"As am I," she hissed.

My nose scrunched up like I'd just eaten something disgusting. "Wha-"

"To the point," she interuppted, "where I've heard that you lost your job."

I caught off guard, but somehow it didn't shock me that she knew. I let out a laugh, but it caught in my throat when I saw Cari's eyes narrow. I cleared my throat and took another long sip of strawberry. "Abby? Did she tell you?" There was something bitter in my voice. For reasons unknown, I felt betrayed.

"No," she said. She leaned back in her chair, and slid her hand through her perfect hair. The threat of tears glittered in her eyes. "I thought you said you said you'd call if you needed anything."

It felt like someone had pinched my heart. The way she looked, so hurt, it hurt me to see her like that. I frowned. "I did." She gave me a look. "Oh, don't be so dramatic! I'll find a job soon enough. I've been looking."

"You don't even need to look-"

"No! I'm _not _taking a job from you," I said. I spoke fast, knowing she would be quick to protest.

"Why not?" she fired back.

I let out a large sigh, and the feelings in my gut settled a bit. "We've already had this conversation, Cari," I said. There were hints of exhuastion in my voice. I really didn't want to talk about this. I didn't want to talk about money. I just wanted to feel free, to feel a bit more in control. This topic did not do that for me.

"Yes, but it's different this time. You could really use the money," she nagged.

"Yeah, I could, but then I'd just be taking advantage of you."

"I _want _you to work for us."

"No," I said. I looked up to meet her eyes and repeated, "_No_."

She huffed, looking unhappy about it, but she didn't try again. "So then how are you going to come up with the money?"

I shrugged again. I was a bit relieved that she didn't offer to let me work for her again, but the relief didn't last long. She was asking a question I didn't know the answer to, and it made me uncomfortable. I knew she sensed my discomfort but she didn't pry. She just expected me to break and just tell her. Well, I wasn't. "I don't know. A job is how I'm going to get most of it."

"Most of it?"

"Well, you already pitched in 10, so yeah, most of it."

"I don't think you'll get 20 in less than a month, Beth, unless you plan on becoming the world best stripper."

"Oh," I said, smirking, "I know that, but did you hear about this guy?"

Cari's ears perked, and her whole mood seemed to change. She always got interested when I brought up men. "Well, go on."

"Well," I gave her a devilish look, "I hear he's handsome, and he's _totally _rich."

Cari rolled her eyes. "So what? You plan on becoming a little whore so he'll pay for everything?"

"Something like that, see he has a wife and kids," I said, a little laugh coming form my lips. "And I'm gonna get between them, make him fall for me, and then suck him dry, so he'll be divorced, alone, and totally broke! Muhahahah!"

Cari narrowed her eyes, "Bitch, are you talking about _my _husband?"

"Ohh, is that jealousy I hear?" I mocked. I puckered my lips and made kissy noises..

She smirked at me."I'm sorry, you're going to be very disappointed when he doesn't leave his family."

"So I can still suck him dry?" I gave her a wide grin, my tongue clamped between my teeth. I almost died when Cari scowled at me.

"_No_," she said.

"Oh," I laughed, "I'm kidding, Care-bear, I'm _kidding_." I looked down at my phone again, and then back up at her to giggle a bit at her mom face or otherwise known as 'a look of utter disapproval'.

"Well, find a different man to talk about," she said. "He's mine, and I don't like sharing."

I smiled at Cari, patting her hand. "Sweetie, you've got _nothing _to worry about. Even if I wanted to-which I don't-Kurt would never look at another girl as long as he's got you."

Cari was silent for a moment, and again, her mood seemed to change. She looked at my hand as she took it, and held it. "But you're okay right?"

I tilted my head to the side. "Okay? What cha talking about?"

"With us. Kurt and me. Look, I know he means a lot to you, but does he...do you still...?" Cari couldn't finish her sentence. She looked just as uncomforable as I suddenly felt.

I let out a nervous chuckled. "Uh, no." I removed my hand from hers and gave her delicate hand a single pat before returning it to me side. I started texting under the table. "I'm good. See, Kurt's great and all, but he's..." my face scrunched up, "_Kurt_. He's a weirdo, and he likes science." I looked down at my phone, clicking away. "I mean, we tried dating for a while in high school, but you know that." I looked up at her and shrugged. "I personally like him more as a friend because then when I ask for money I don't have to give him sex, and I can just pay him back."

Cari rolled her eyes at my cheeky smile and ran both hands through her hair. "Whatever." She paused for a moment, and then sighed. "Did you two...ever...have..." My phone vibrated in my hand and I looked down.

The text read: **Okay. Meet me at 8. Regular spot.**

"Sex?" My voice was absent. I stared down at the phone in my lap, dazed. I couldn't believe it actually worked. I couldn't believe I was in just like that. It felt unreal. I stayed like that for a moment, before I remembed where I was. I looked up at Cari, and shook my head. "_Sex_? I don't know, maybe? I was really horny back in high school. But I can't remember. Honestly? Probably. I had this weird fantasy that he'd make awesome kids, and that he'd make a great husband." I winked at Cari. "I was right about that."

"Yes, you were," Cari said. "Do you think he's good at sex...?"

I snickered, and shook my head. "I don't know."

"Guess." With the excitement of a child, she took another drink of her shake.

I did too, and with a roll of my eyes I put on my best thinker face. "Well, he's a scentist...Hmm, he managed to score you...He also managed to get two kids out of you, so yes. I think he's good at sex."

"Well, you're wrong. _Wrong!_" Cari whimpered a little. "He's _awful_. No matter how many times we practice, or go at it, he never seems to get better." Cari actually managed to sound flabbergasted, to which I was amazed.

"Holy shit, woman. You actually make this sound like a problem."

"Because it is!" She shook her head and drank a bit of her shake. "Like, it's not like I can just go have sex with other people, either, it has to be him because we're married."

I scoffed. "Oh, I really feel your pain," I deadpanned.

Cari let out a huff. "Oh, shut up. You're lucky to be able to sleep with whoever you want."

"Yeah, so lucky that I don't have a man to come home to." The phone vibrated, and Cari finally noticed.

"Who's texting you?"

I looked down at my phone, and shrugged. "I...uh...um..."

"Potentional boyfriend?" Cari's eyes crinkle with excitement. She bit her lip, wiggling around like a school girl.

I held my breath, though, and looked down to read the text:** Got it? If you're late, you're out.**

"Uh..." I glanced back up at Cari. I blew out my breath. The hope in her eyes made me giddy. "_Yeah_," I lied. My mouth curved into a weird awkward smile. "There's potentional. We're even meeting tonight at eight."

"Oh, like a date?"

I nodded. "Like a date."


	4. Eight O'Clock

**A/N: So, I have gotten a couple reviews, and let me just say: thank you. =) I appreciate it. So, I have some more questions for you. I already know what I think the characters look like, but w****hat do you think? Your feedback is important. What do you think about the other characters? Cari, Kurt? What do they look like? How's the story going? What are some events like you like, or don't like? Comments? Questions? Plain reviews? There's a nice box at the bottem that's ready for all of it!**

"Hey Donny," I greeted. I even waved, but the man I was talking to didn't even notice, or he was ignoring it. It was most likely the latter. I was walking, a bike close to my side. I had barrowed my neighbor's again, only this time I had asked. Donny stood next to a blue door, his back pressed against the brick front of the building he was leaning on. A yellow neon sign flickered above him, casting a scary shadow on his face. Even so, I didn't stop moving towards him.

He was about a whole head taller than I was, and he had the world's bluest eyes. His skin was dark, like it had always been, but in the night it looked even darker. He was always dying his hair different colors, and as of right now it was a bright green. A white oversize jacket hung from his thin person. Under that jacket was a plain black t-shit. He wore jeans, and his casual boots. His face was sulken in, and half of it had traces of a five o'clock shadow. He looked a lot like the man I hung out around in college, but I knew better. He was different, changed.

"Donny," I repeated. I snapped my fingers in his face, now that I was close enough. That finally got his attention. His blue eyes jumped straight to mine.

My heart almost stopped, because no matter how many times I looked into them, or how well I got to know him, he woud always seem dangerous. At the sight of me, he smiled. "You're on time," he said. He seemed impressed.

"Actually," I said, "I'm early." I rocked back and forth on my feet.

Donny's eyebrows raised and he took a look at his watch. "Nice."

I nodded. "Yep."

"So, are you ready to do this?" he asked.

"Nope," I said. I popped my p.

Donny scoffed, and he shook his head like he couldn't believe it. His blue eyes narrowed in a deadly way, then they slid to me. My heart fluttered. His lip curled slightly, like he was mad at the world.

"What?!" I gave him a look, too, though mine was more childish-angry, and it did nothing against his intimidating gangster face. "I will _never _be ready for this," I hissed, pointing at the door. "Never."

"I'm not taking you in there unless you're ready," he said. His voice was soft, but rough enough to send chills down my spine. I flinched at his words, and he looked me up and down, a small scowl on his face. "You're too soft. Is that it? You're out?"

"I can't be _out_, Donny," I said, like he was stupid. "I _have _to do this." I sighed, and closed my eyes, suddenly really exhuasted. "I need the money."

"Then why are you being such a pussy?"

I balled my fist up, ready to hit him, but those eyes stopped me. I just growled instead. "I'm _not _a pussy."

"Prove it, get in there." He nodded his head towards the door next to us.

"Now you're just being an asshole."

He smirked, sexy and intimidating at the same time. "It's my job," he looked me up and down that same scowl taking over his features, "_pussy_." My chest heaved with every breath I took, and in all of my anger, I didn't even notice the way the mood suddenly changed. It became more serious. Donny took my arm. His grip was tight. "Get inside, Beth." I let out a whimper, and he threw my arm away, as if disgusted. I stumbled back away from him. He was a lot stronger than he was in college, too.

We were silent for a momet long moment, both staring at each other. We were both ashamed. He was ashamed of touching me. I was ashamed of how afraid I was to get in there. The tension was thick enough to cut it with a knife.

"Those guys are gonna tear you apart," he said, breaking the silence. It wasn't a warning. It was truth, cold, bitter truth. It was going to be a brutal battle behind those doors.

I sighed. My sigh was shakey. I looked down at his boots. "I know..."

He looked at me, and then checked his watch. "It's almost time-get inside, Beth. If you don't, they'll start without you and this was for nothing."

I sighed again, and nodded. "Fine." I put my hand on the door and gave it a small shove, then glanced back at Donny. "Are you coming in with me?" My voice was quietter than I expected.

Donny rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Anything for you, princess." He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. The action relaxed me, and I took a deep breath. A smile shadowed my lips, and I nodded again. Then I opened the door.


	5. Midnight

**A/N: Uhh, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, to be honest. Enjoy, though, if you can. I'm excited to have something to update. :)**

"Run!" Donny yelled. I screamed as a fist smashed into his face.

"Donny!" I cried. Blood was running down his face. I felt queasy. It had all happened so fast, too fast. "Don-_ny_!"

"Run, Beth-" Punch! "Get out o-" Punch! "LEAVE!" Punch!

"No," I whispered. I looked around, but I couldn't see anything to fight back with. Donny was my only weapon, and he was currently out of order. My heart thumped painfully hard in my chest, and in the blink of an eye, I was throwing myself at the man on top of Donny. The man fell over, not expecting me to join in. I squealed as we fell back on the floor. He landed heavily on my arm. I screamed. That scream was silenced by a grunt when the guy shoved me off of him, and I went skidding across the floor.

My body was sore, not used to being handled roughly, but I climbed to my feet. I was shaking. I didn't expect the man to walk towards me once I did so. He looked angry. The fear I felt was so unusual to me that I almost peed myself, then and there. I stumbled back until I hit the wall, but the man didn't let up. He raised his fist and I screamed. I flinched, my eyes slamming closed, but the blow never came.

I heard a grunt then, and then the presence of the man was gone. Someone grabbed me, and pulled me. I screamed, and tried to pull away, but the person grabbed both of my shoulders. I was silenced by a hard shake.

"Shut up!"

I felt tears slid down my face when I heard him speak. "Donny..."

"Shut up!" His voice was rough, and wet. He spit blood out of his mouth.

I was disgusted, but I nodded, nevertheless. I tried to ignore the fact that I was crying. Donny let go of me, and jogged to the other side of the room to collect to money that the people had lost, and a little more because there was no one to stop him. He put in my purse, a decently large brown bag with a long strap. Then he came back to me and took my hand. He tugged on it, and together we fled from the building.

The world outside was different. The world was darker, scarier, and more creepy than it was before, but not silent. The street was almost empty, with only a few drunk people stumbling around, but the sounds of traffic, cop sirens, and gun shots were easily heard. The same thing you'd hear every night in the city.

We'd ran two blocks when I realised something: Donny was taking it easy. He wasn't out of breath, and it looked like he was just jogging. My heart clenched, and I stumbled a bit. Donny could run faster. Donny could leave me. Donny could get away, but he stayed with me. I appreciated it, and hated him for it at the same time.

Here he was, bloody and bruised, and loyal. I tried to run faster, but my legs were going as fast as they were going to go. I only made it to the end of the street before I stopped, and fell. I couldn't go on any longer. I rolled along the ground, pathetic, looking like fish out of water. I couldn't breath. My side hurt. My head pounded. Donny faultered, and then he was all over me, grabbing me, pulling me along. "No," I protested. It hurt to move. I knew I shouldn't be complaining, a voice in the back of my mind screamed and cried out at the fact _I_ was the one complaining, but I couldn't help it. "I can't."

"Beth, move," he hissed. His grip on me tightened and started to drag me, barely letting my feet touch the ground. He was practically carrying me across the street.

I enhaled sharply, but didn't protest. I couldn't find it in me to. Seeing his face, those blue eyes surrounded by forming black eyes, I started to cry again. "I'm so sorry."

"Shut up."

And I did. There was no way I was going to talk back to him now. I let him drag me. I didn't know what else to do. I felt to powerless, weak. Another common occurance in my life. I was always the weak one in need of protecting. I hated myself for it. People like Donny, though, thrived on it. Donny, while he would never admit it, had a thing for protecting people. He always wanted the people closed to him alive, and well. He was loyal, and sometimes even sweet.

But behind those sexy blue eyes there was something else, I just didn't know what. I knew it was dark, and probably something that should make me steer clear of him, but he'd never treated me bad so there had been no reason for me to turn my back on him. Especially in times like this, with him dragging me away from danger. He had the money, he could just drop me and run away with it.

But he didn't.

Instead, the next thing I knew, we were in an alley. Donny let me go, and I almost fell, but I caught myself. My heart skipped a beat, but not because he let me go, but because of the alley. I'd never liked allies. Bad things always happened in them. Rape. Murder. Thieft. Abandoment. _Murder_. I looked up at Donny, and the fear on his face made me shiver. "Wha-"

"They're following us," he whispered, more to himself than to me. His eyes roamed the alley. "We gotta hide. We can't outrun them. We _have _to hide."

I looked in the alley and saw a large gargage bin and a few tin gargage cans. There was nothing to hide under, or in. When I looked back to Donny, he was gone. I looked around a bit more, sure that he'd just moved, but I couldn't find him. "Donny?" I called. My voice was quiet with fear. When he didn't call back I realised that he was gone.

He'd let go of me, and then left, taking the money with him. It all happened to fast that I didn't know what to think.

And for a long time nothing happened.

It was silent.

The only thing to be heard was my breathing.

But then, a door opened further in the alley, and I jumped away, ready to run, but the person there was just as startled as I was. "Hey," the guy hissed, "what are you doing back here?" I jumped back, frightened. Had I just ruined it? In my sudden rush to flee, I stumbled backwards and fell. The man noticed, and he started to move forward. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Donny?!" I screamed, glancing back. "Donny!" I picked myself off the ground, and turned and ran back out onto the street.

I didn't look to see if the guy was following me, but I got the feeling that he was. It didn't matter though, because I'd spotted Donny. He was running, just ahead of me about a block and a half. Seeing him run made me realise that he'd _really _been holding back. He sped quickly down the street, and I was jealous of his sped, mad that he'd left me, and hurt that he was leaving me behind. Why was he running away from me? I continued to run on, though. I chased after him, following him as he turned down each confusing street. After a few minutes, Donny had disappeared. I'd lost him.

I stopped running, but oh-so-luckily managed to trip. With a yelp my foot ran into the other one and I went tumbling down. I was lying on the ground, sore and hurt, with no motivation to get up.

I was on the ground only a moment, letting my mind register my pain, but then a gun shot rang out, not too far away. My heart jumped, and before I could really register what was going on I was running towards it. As I did, another shot rang out. I turned another corner, and to my surprise I was right at the docks. The sudden change in smell hit me going from damp street to salty shore all too quickly. But I did my best to ignore it, and focus on the fight I saw just ahead of me.

I never got to the fight.

Someone behind me grabbed my arm, and pulled me back. With a yell, I fell back into the person. My mind went blank. I didn't know what to do. Was I caught? Was I dead? Was I going to die? I struggled. I wasn't giving up without a fight. "NO!" I yelled. The roar of my voice startled even myself. I didn't have time for this. I had to help Donny. I had to get to Donny. Under my breath I whimpered, "_Donny?_" I wanted to cry out to him, but he was busy fighting. I knew that was him, just up there. The way he threw his punches, his height, and the overall look told me all I needed to know. And he was less than a hundred feet away. And I was standing here, useless, like always.

My heart hurt watching Donny beat the other man down. It was so violent. Everything was so violent. Donny was winning, which didn't surprise me, but a part of me was scared. I didn't really want to run to Donny, not when he was kicking someone's head, punching the shit out of a man he didn't know, throwing the guy against the wall.

What was it all for? All of this violence for what? Money? So yeah, I needed money, but this is not how I thought this night was going to go. Sure, maybe a little commotion, but I didn't expect this to be such a big deal. I didn't expect for everything to blow up out of proportion.

Suddenly, the events of tonight came crashing down on me. With a gasp, my knees gave out. I felt faint. I would have fallen to the ground if the guy holding me didn't tighten his grip. That made me remember that I was being held, and I started to struggle again.

But then another gun shot rang out, so close, and painful on the ear. I winced and my eyes jumped straight to the figure I knew was Donny. I watched him sway only a slight bit, and dread spilled into my gut. I was horrified. "No!" I yelled. Again, my voice was louder than I thought I could yell. My whole world seemed to be falling apart. "Don-_ny_-y!" I let out a sob, and the worst part was the I could have sworn that those eyes met mine right before he fell down.

The man's hands slithered off me, and I bolted to Donny. Other guy who'd shot Donny ran off, getting into a car and driving away. I couldn't stop muttering his name, as if saying it would make him better. I called for him, yelled at him, and cried for him as I ran. I couldn't get there fast enough.

Without heisitation, I dropped to my knees, and took his hand in mine. Warm. I looked up at his eyes. They were squinted with pain, staring at me. He looked terrible. Tears streamed down his face. He was breathing heavily, obviously in a ton of pain. It broke my heart to see him crying. I felt helpless. "I hate you," I snapped. It was the first thing I could think of. Tears, like so many other times tonight, spilled from my eyes. "I really hate you," I whispered. I squeezed his hand, and looked over the rest of him. I sighed sharply, so confused, so unsure. "What do I do? What can I do? Don't die on me." I reached for his pockets, searching for his phone. It slid out of his pocket easily. I dialed the police, but I didn't know what to say. I just told him that my friend was shot, and I was somewhere by the docks. The call was short, and bitter. When I looked back up at his eyes, he wasn't looking at me. My bottom lip trembled. "Donny?" I whispered. He didn't respond. My eyebrows knitted together. "Donny!" I squeezed his hand harder, and placed it against my cheek. It was wet with blood. I tried to ignore the blood smearing on my face, but I couldn't. There was so much, too much. I couldn't ignore it. I felt like I was about to throw up.

I turned his hand over and kissed his palm, which was was clean from blood. I didn't flinch when he moved his hand and cupped the side of my face. His thumb swiped, smudging some of the blood on my cheek. He still didn't look at me. I let out a sob.

Then there was a shuffle of feet behind me. Donny's eyes hardened, and slid over and up, looking at something above me. My blood ran cold. Donny twitched to move, but groaned and fell back, relaxed. His eyes were trained on the person behind me. He looked furious with himself, and ready to hurt the person behind me if he did something stupid. I didn't look back, but gasped when something was pressed against the back of my head.

"The money," the person hissed.

I looked at Donny, but he didn't look at me, just the guy. His expression changed a fraction. His jaw clenched. I looked around for it. Donny didn't have it on him.

I don't know what exactly happened, but one second the gun's pressed against my head, the bullet clicking in place, and the next it's gone flying into the air to skid noisily away from us. The was a pause and a grunt before the guy suddenly landed next to me, uncounsious. I screamed, and shuffled closer to Donny, who groaned, and then scrambled back into someone new. I froze; my eyes widened. I looked up slowly, swollowing, and behind me I laid eyes on the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.


	6. Hospital

"You'll be fine," the nurse said. She was just your standard nurse dressed in dark pink scrubs, with her brown hair visible, and pulled back into a tight pony tail. Her eyes were bright and blue. She must have been new, considering all of the other nurses didn't look as cheerful. She smiled at me, and tucked her clip board under her arm. Donny and I were in emergency care. The cops had taken us after they had arrived on the scene.

"Thanks," I said. I gave her a small smile, and then looked at the ground. The nurse nodded as well, satisfied with herself, and then left.

I couldn't get Donny out of my head. My thoughts only allowed the worst to be considered, and I was falling more and more into myself, until a new person stepped in front of me. Someone else's presence seemed to pull me out of my funk.

The first thing I noticed was how not cheap the guy's shoes were. Expensive shoes. Who wore expensive shoes? Touching his shoes at just the perfect length were dark dress pants that were slightly dirty. I skipped the rest of his body to look at his face, and my heart stopped.

There was no way I was ever going to forget a face that beautiful. He had high cheekbones, an asian tilt to his brown eyes, and sexy hair that was styled to look professional, yet show off just how young he was. Twenty-four. He had to be twenty-four.

"Hi," he said. There was moment were we didn't say anything. I just stared at him. "Well," he said, letting out a nervous chuckle, "I uh, was there when you and your buddy were...I, uh, wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm not the one that was shot."

The man shrugged awkwardly. "I'm aware, but he's not receiving any visitors at the time, so...I just come by to say that I'm glad you're okay."

I didn't say anything right away. My mind was blank. I thought about pointing out his lack of social skills, but that seemed rude and uncalled for so I went with the next best thing. "...thanks." I couldn't come up with anything better.

He nodded, and stuck out his hand. "Hiro," he said.

I looked at his hand, and took it, but I didn't have the confidence he had when we shook hands. "Bethany."

"That's a pretty name."

"Yes, it is."

The man chuckled. "So, are you okay?"

I smiled. His laugh was nice. "Yes, I'm fine. Nothing permanent. Just small bruises and scrapes."

"Yeah..." Hiro paused, and then sighed. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. It was critical, as if he was examining me. "Do we know each other?"

I let out a laugh. "No. I think I'd remember if I knew you. You have expensive shoes."

Hiro laughed, as if a little embarrassed. "No, I mean, you seem really familiar."

I shrugged. "I don't know, you might have seen me around town, it's not like I'm a recluse."

Hiro was silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "Right," he said. "Well, it's nice to know that you're doing good, Bethany."

I nodded. "No problem. Thanks for everything, Hiro." He walked away, and I stared at his butt until he was out of sight. He was a very handsome man, and I liked the way he walked.

A little while later, I was released, and I went to see my mom. Her eyes lit up when I walked in. "Oh, Bethany, you're here! Good. I was just getting bored with the TV. They have such lame shows on right now."

I chuckled. "They do, do they?" I stuck my hand down my shirt and fished around my bra. "Here, I got your IPod." My mom smiled, and turned off the TV. She patted the spot next to her on the hospital bed and I climbed up next to her. "Mom," I started, giving her the IPod, "you have a lot of debt." I was whispering.

My mother shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"Mom..."

"Don't worry about it, Beth," she said. She patted my hand and I felt my heart sink. "I've got it." I looked up at my mother, how oblivious she was to how bad her situation was. We both didn't have money, and she probably was ignoring the whole thing, thinking luck would prevail. I nodded, and then got from the bed. "Beth?" I didn't respond and instead left.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I really have no good reason as to why this chapter is so late. I can only say that school literaly drained me to the point where I was a robot for the weeks I didn't update. And I'm sorry for that. But I hope this update isn't too terrible. :incert nervous chuckle and awkward smile: Right?<strong>


	7. Damsel

**A/N: Omg, peoples. I'm so happy with the attention that this story is getting. It is making me _really_ happy. So far? Favs: 9. Follows: 17. Reviews: 11. I know those aren't like **HUGE **numbers, but ya know what? It doesn't matter! I'm just happy that people are liking this story! =D So it's _not_ a failure! :incert excited movements: It's fun to write, so I'm happy that peoples are having fun reading. **

"What do people see in you?" a man sneered.

"What?" I was caught off guard. I was just coming back from the hospital, and while I had pretty much ignored everyone there was no way I was going to ignore this one. I turned around, thinking he was talking to me, but that wasn't so. He was talking to a woman. She was folded in on herself, just as stunned as I was.

The girl tried to speak. Her voice broke. "Baby-"

"Don't baby me, slut," he hissed. I knew he wasn't talking to me, but the words stung. The woman flinched as the guy spoke again, saying more mean things and probably giving a clue as to what they were talking about, but I couldn't focus on that. I could only focus on how hurt the woman looked.

How angry the guy was shook my insides. I'd never seen someone so enraged. I was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, we all were, but others, random strangers, paid no mind as they passed. The man didn't notice me, but the woman did. She glanced at me, as if worried I'd do something.

The more I watched and the more dirty things I heard, the more I felt like getting involved. I didn't understand what he was talking about. He was insisting that she was cheating on him, calling her trash, but she just denied it and despite the mean things he said, she tried to calm him down, reassure him. She kept telling him that she loved him. She wasn't crying, but she looked ready to. The emotions in my started to boil. I was in no mood to witness this transaction. The woman looked so broken it lit a fire inside of me. A hot, messy fire that made my cheeks burn with shame at the thought that we -this guy and I- shared a species.

It was when she reached out to touch him that I got involved. He slapped her hand away, and his feet shuffled. That's how I knew he was going to strike. His body tensed, ready release the tense with punch or two, but I got there first. It all happened so quick. I punched him. He didn't expect anyone to step in, and the action took him off guard. He fell to the ground, the sudden change in direction scattering his balance. I hopped on top of him and I kept punching him.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on her!" I screamed. It came out as a barbaric screech, filled with fury and sadness I didn't know I'd been keeping to myself.

The people around us jumped away, also caught of guard. The woman folded more into herself more, her tears finally spilling, and someone grabbed her to protect her, pulling her behind him, then grabbed my hips and pulled me back too. He stepped in front of me, all shoulders and muscle. I had half a mind to charge past him and slap around the guy again. The pressure boiling in my stomach told me to, and my heart pounded in my chest ready to engage in a fight.

But, the guystood up. He staggered to his feet like the pathetic waste he was and found my eyes. The anger in his tense body turned my blood cold. He was staring at me with eyes that said I was dead. I scowled at him, giving him a look that said he was lucky there was another person between us. As much as I willed it to leave, his threat was something I noted.

"You don't hurt women," the man in front of me hissed. His voice was deep and rough. It suited him considering he was such a big muscled guy. He stepped forward, blocking the guy's vision, so I could only see the man's back. His words made me look away from the guy. Seeing him standing in front of me reminded me of Donny, how I was always being protected. I stared at his back for a moment before my eyes dropped to the ground. What had I done? "You don't ever hurt a woman."

The angry trash looked around, taking in everyone that surrounded him. They gave him defiant looks, as if daring him to do something. He scowled, and covered his face. He was hiding his bruises. Bruises that I gave him.

I suddenly felt sick.

I didn't hurt people. I didn't like violence. I didn't want to hit people. My heart clenched and suddenly I realized that I was crying. The woman shuffled over to me, and tapped me on the shoulder. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Her eyes were also downcast.

I shook my head. "I don't hit people," I said. "I'm sor-"

"He deserved it," she cut in. Her voice was strong and powerful, but she quickly shrank back into herself. "He was going to hurt me, and you stopped him. Thank you."

I gave her a look. I didn't mean to, but I gave her the look that showed everything. I was sorry and her thank you meant nothing to me. I had broken a code of mine. Talk big, never strike. As many times as I always threatened it, I would never hit someone like I did now. I'd just hit people playfully, and even then it felt wrong. I felt embarrassed. The girl laid a hand on my arm just as muscles turned around.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, looking over me. I didn't respond. The girl looked at me funny, like my reaction was wrong. As if I was some sort of hero, and she was a confused child that believed the superheroes didn't cry.

I waved off his attempts to check, and for the second time today I walked away without responding. I think I was getting good at blocking out my problems.


	8. What Are Friends For?

**A/N: Well, first, I _love_ you guys! Thank you for the reviews. You guys rock. I'll try my best to not let you down storywise. I don't want to inCert the wrong stuff in this story and you guys are really helping me. It's nice. It's nice to know what I need to do to be a better writer. :) And as for Hiro? You're going to be seeing more of him.**

"Mehhh, ehhh. Ehhh," I groaned. The sun was up and desperately fighting my curtains to be let in. It bathed my room in an awkwardly dim light that made me sigh. It was just bright enough to prevent me from falling back asleep, and yet, I didn't get up and let the sun in. Instead, I turned over and laid there. The next day had came very slowly. I'd stayed up all night, overthinking the events of the past couple of weeks. I was a mess. A stupid, violent mess, and I had decided some time last night that I hated myself. It was a silly thing, and I knew that of course, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

Today I was moping around, doing nothing. Since I didn't have any plans I was still in my pajamas, my hair tied back in a sloppy bun. When I'd gained the courage, I'd called Donny to chat and make sure he was okay. He insisted that what he had was nothing, that he's had worse. I didn't doubt him, I didn't have the energy to argue with him or get angry with him that he was just brushing this off. Instead I told him that I wanted to see him, but he didn't want me to see him in his condition. I thought back to when I saw him crying, how it'd broken my heart, and then I thought about what that must have done to tough-guy like Donny. To show weakness in front of me, in front of strangers... After a half hour or so we hung up the phone, not knowing what else to talk about.

I mulled over the events by myself for an hour or so, in my own little depressed world, listening to the noise of the street before I was interrupted by a noise. It was a quiet and strange noise, a noise I hadn't heard in a long time.

At first I didn't think I'd really heard it, but then it came again, and again.

"Is someone knocking on my door?" I asked myself. "Hmm." I got up slowly, making sure to take my time. "I'm coming!" I yelled. There was another knock on the door. With a grumble I stomped my way over to the door. "God, _Cari_, I'm coming! And since whe-"

I stared at the man outside of my apartment. It was an attractive man, with black hair and brown eyes. Hiro Hamada.

I was instantly flustered. "Oh," I said, "hi." I adjusted my shirt to be straight, and crossed my arms as a breeze rolled in. I was suddenly aware I wasn't wearing a bra.

He smiled. "Hello."

I gave him a small smile back. "I, uh, wasn't expecting anyone," I said, glancing down at myself. "But you can see that. Hehe..." I winced when I realized how awful I looked. I really hoped he had bad eyesight.

Hiro wasn't awkward about it, to my luck. "Well I came unexpected, so..." He shrugged. "Plus," he looked at my pants with a smile, "cats are cool."

I shifted, embarrassed. Not that cool, I thought. "So, what brings you here?"

"Oh!" Hiro chuckled awkwardly before he patted himself down. There was a weak smile on his face until he hit something. He made a weird noise and pulled something out of his coat. "I just came here to return this..."

"Oh?" I said. I nodded, and then my head tilted to the side. "Where did you get this?" I took the object from him, and gasped when I realized it was my purse. "Oh! Thank you." I peeked in it. Everything was in here. My spare wallet. My lip gloss. My feminine products. And...the money. I spared a glance at him, which he noticed. I couldn't help the insecurity I felt. What would a smart man like him make of the situation?

Hiro could sense that my mood changed and he shrugged. It was a jerky, unsure motion. "It was lying in the alley. You ran off and left it behind. Just thought I'd return it to you."

I looked down at the purse, and smiled slightly. I looked back up at Hiro, and nodded. "Well, thanks for returning this. I really appreciate it." I started to close my door, but Hiro stopped it. A chill went up my spine. What _would_ a smart man make out of this situation? I looked up at him.

Hiro met my gaze and then backed off. "B-before you go," he started, rocking on his feet, "I was just wondering if you would like to, maybe-_I don't know_-get coffee?" He rubbed the back of his neck, and shifted nervously.

I sniffed. We shared an awkward moment.

"No," I said. Then I shut my door, and went back inside and sat on my bed, stumped. I sat there for awhile, before I fell back on my bed. "No," I repeated, shaking my head. "Nope, I'm not interested." I rolled around my bed. "Men with money are players." I scrunched my nose. "He's probably smarter than me." I snorted and then I started to cry. I stuffed my face in my pillow. "He _is_ smarter than me."

Suddenly my phone rang.

I jumped, and threw the pillow off of my face. I snatched my cell phone and flipped it open. I cleared my throat before I spoke. "Yes?"

"Beth?"

"Cari."

"Beth!" my best friend squealed. I frowned. What made her so happy? "Oh, you have to get down here! I just got you a job interview!"

"Cari, I already told you-"

"Not from _me_! From a friend. She owns a bakery, and I know how much you love food."

I sighed. "I'm not a baker."

"I know! But she needs more staff to wait tables and take orders. And I was a like, I know the perfect girl. And she was all, really? And I was like, of course! I told her you used to work at a bar, and that you had great people skills, and well, she's excited to meet you."

"Cari..." I whined. "I don't know."

"Well, I'm not giving you a say. Beth, tomorrow at seven you are going to march yourself down to that bakery and you're going to get that job and you're going to work really hard to make money and try to pay off those stupid hospital bills, okay?"

I stayed silent, too overwhelmed to respond.

"Okay, Beth?"

I sighed.

"_Okay_?"

"Okay, okay. Fine."

Cari giggled. "Great! Now get your butt down here so we can celebrate! The kids are here. They want to see you."

"I don't think we should celebrate. It seems a bit soon, doesn't it?"

"No, just get over here."

I sighed, and was going to complain more, but I stopped myself. "Alright. I'll be there in an hour."

With that, I hung up and pulled myself off my bed once again. With an exaggerated sigh, and few mumbled words, I grabbed a towel and went to take a shower. I guess I did have plans for the day.

**A/N: Hahaha?** I laugh.** _Another one?_ **_you say all dark and mysterious._ **Hahaha...yeah!** I reply all hot and not mysterious.

**I just realized that this "not long, short story" is probably going to be a looooot longer than what I originally planned it to be. You see, originally this story was going to be, I don't know, 10 chapters? What chapter are we at now? Yeah...so 10 is not going to happen... So enjoy, maybe? Yay? Nay? Boo? Woohoo? o/-\o ****I have just realized the flaw of people liking my story...is that I feel pressured to impress all of you, and I'm not that impressive of a person... 0o0**

**Hey, if you have a twitter, I would love it if you followed me. I'm the great, the wonderful: SereneChaos216. My cover image is (right now) "I BAND". I've been on twitter a LOT recently, and I just want to throw that out there. I have, like, 18 followers and it's just...I had 22 once upon a time, but then I followed them back, and they unfollowed me. ;_; At this level of followers I notice when I lose people. It's hard _not_ to notice.**

**But that is all for now. I have the next chapter started. Yet, in saying that the same thing that happened with _this_ chapter will happen to that one. I work on it for HOURS and then I screw up and it doesn't save, and _so all of that hard work is just GONE!_ and then I cry and start reading bad fanfiction to make myself feel better. **

**That was last Sunday. ****But never mind that! Have a gay day!**


End file.
